Jose Rizal Biography

Jose Rizal was a writer and revolutionary regarded as the

greatest national hero of the Philippines. This biography of Jose
Rizal provides detailed information about his childhood, life,
achievements, works & timeline.
Quick Facts
Also Known
As

Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda

Nationality

Filipino

Religion

Roman Catholicism

Born on

19 June 1861 AD

Zodiac Sign

Gemini

Born in

Calamba, Laguna

Died on

30 December 1896 AD

Place of
death

Bagumbayan, Manila[

Father

Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado de Alejandro

Mother

Teodora Morales Alonzo Realonda de Quintos

Siblings

Paciano Rizal, Saturina, Narcisa, Lucia, Maria,

Jos Protasio, Concepcin, Josefa, Trinidad,
Soledad,

Spouse:

Josephine Bracken

Children

Franc sco Rizal y Bracken

Quick Facts

Education

University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine

and Surgery, Ateneo de Manila University,
University of Paris, Complutense University of
Madrid, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg,
University of Santo Tomas

Founder/CoLa Liga Filipina

Founder
Awards

- FAMAS Awards for Best Story category for

Gerardo de Len's adaptation of his book Noli
Me T ngere

Hailed as the greatest national hero of the Philippines, Jose

Rizal was a man of strong convictions who sacrificed his life
for the nationalist cause. During his time Philippines was under
Spanish colonial rule and Rizal advocated for peaceful
reforms in his home country. Rizal was not just a nationalist,
he was a multifaceted personality who was a qualified doctor,
writer, and an artist who could draw, paint, sculpt and carve.
He was a prolific writer and poet who through his eloquent
writings inspired the nationalists for peaceful reforms as well as
armed conflicts where the need arose. Born into a family which
valued education, he was encouraged to study well and gain
knowledge about a variety of subjects. Even as a youngster he
was known to harbor thoughts of political freedom and
individual
rights which were considered radical by the

authorities who frowned

upon him. A well traveled man, he became involved in the

Propaganda Movement where he joined other Filipinos
who wanted reforms. He also wrote about the dark
aspects
of Spanish rule in a book which was banned in
Philippines. Even though he was a supporter of peaceful
reforms, he was exiled from his home country, and later on
convicted of sedition and sentenced to death. The execution
of this
young nationalist fuelled the Filipinos desire for
independence further.
Childhood & Early Life
He was born as Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso
Realonda, one of the 11 children of Francisco Engracio
Rizal Mercado y Alejandro and Teodora Morales Alonso y
Quintos. He later adopted a shorter version of his name,
Jose Rizal. His family was very prosperous.
He enrolled at Ateneo de Municipal de Manila and
graduated with a degree in Land Surveying and
Assessment in 1877. He had a deep interest in arts and
thus he went to the Faculty of Arts and Letters for a
degree in Philosophy at the University of Santo Tomas.
His mother was becoming blind during this time and the
young man decided to specialize in ophthalmology in order
to help her. He enrolled at the Faculty of Medical
Sciences at University of Santo Tomas in 1878 for this
purpose.
He went to Spain to continue his studies and enrolled at
the Universidad Central de Madrid from where he earned
his degree in medicine in 1884. He completed another
degree in Philosophy and Letters from the same institute
the next year.
He had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and went to
France to further his knowledge of ophthalmology at the
University of Heidelberg. He completed his eye
specialization in 1887 under the tutelage of the famous
professor Otto Becker.

Late r Life

In 1887, while studying medicine in the Universidad

Central de Madrid, he wrote the novel Noli Me Tangere.
He harshly criticized the Spanish colonial rule in
Philippines and wrote of the injustices and brutalities
suffered by the native people. His novel was banned by
the government due to its scathing contents.
He had been exposed to the problematic life under the
Spanish government and was aware of the difficulties
experienced by the Filipinos. He became the leader of the
reform movement of Filipino students in Spain and wrote
several articles and essays in the Spanish newspaper La
Solidaridad.
He believed that Philippines was struggling with the twin
problems of corrupt friars and bad government. Ideas of
progressive ideals, peaceful reforms, individual rights and
rights for the Filipino people formed the foundation of his
writings.
T he main focus of the reforms he advocated were freedom
of assembly and speech, representation in the legislature,
equal rights before the law for both Filipinos and Spanish,
and that the Philippines be a province of Spain. However,
the colonial authorities did not favor these reforms.
In 1891, his second novel El Filibusterismo was
published as a sequel to his first novel. T he novel dealt
with dark and violent themes that were considerably
different from the theme of its predecessor. T he novel
profoundly impacted the Philippine societys views about
national identity and was banned in some parts of the
country for its portrayal of the Spanish governments
corruption.
He returned to Philippines in 1892 as he felt he needed to
be in the country to effectively bring about reforms. He
formed a civic movement called La Liga Filipina which
campaigned for social reforms through peaceful and legal
means.
By the early 1890s the government had branded Rizal an

enemy of the State in spite of the fact that he advocated

peaceful reforms; the authorities were angry with his
novels and writings which had exposed the corruption of
the Spanish Colonial government. He was exiled to
Dapitan in July 1892.
In Dapitan he continued his reform work by building a
school for young boys, a hospital and a water supply
system. He also taught farming and worked on agricultural
projects using abaca, a plant used for making rope.
In 1895, Cuba was engulfed by an epidemic of yellow
fever and Rizal volunteered to serve as an army doctor.
His request was accepted by the Governor-General
Ramon Blanco.
By August 1896, a secret society Katipunan started a
violent revolution. Even though Rizal was in no way
associated with the revolution, he was arrested enroute to
Cuba.
He was sent back to Manila where he was tried for
rebellion, sedition and conspiracy and convicted of all
these charges.
Major Works
Jose Rizal was a national hero of the Philippines who
exposed the corruptions and wrongdoings of the Spanish
colonial government through his writings. He was an
advocate of peaceful reforms and founded the progressive
organization La Liga Filipina which was considered a
threat by the Spanish authorities and ultimately led to his
arrest.
Pe rsonal Life & Le gacy
He had been involved with numerous women including
Gertrude Beckett, Nelly Boustead, Seiko Usui and Leonor
Rivera.
He had a civil marriage with an Irish woman from Hong
Kong named Josephine Bracken. T he couple had one son,
born prematurely, who died soon after birth.

He was a polymath with the exceptional ability to master

several subjects and skills. He was a doctor, writer, poet,
artist, farmer, educator, and historian. He also had
considerable knowledge in the fields of economics,
anthropology, dramatics and sociology. He could speak 22
languages.
He was arrested in October 1896 and convicted on
charges of sedition, conspiracy and rebellion. He was
sentenced to death. His execution was carried out on
December 30, 1896 by a squad of Filipino soldiers of the
Spanish Army.
Triv ia
Nearly every town and city in Philippines has a street
named after this great national hero.